What’s New

The federation along with the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors and the UNCW Masters of Public Administration Program teamed up to host the first regional Water Summit, “Insights & Actions for SE North Carolina” in Wilmington Wednesday, Oct. 28 which was attended by more than 155 people. The three partners formed the “Three Star Alliance”…

Oysters were once plentiful in the lower Cape Fear River. They formed extensive reefs and lined the marshy shoreline of this dynamic river. Major alterations to the Cape Fear River in the last century resulted in a severe decline in the oyster population. The federation has partnered with Carolina Beach State Park, Military Ocean Terminal…

Recently, several volunteers got their hands dirty in an effort to improve water quality and restore habitat at the North River Wetland Preserve. The volunteers, many who had never met before, joined together as a team and planted 2,850 marsh grasses near the muddy shores of Ward Creek. Ward Creek, which starts within the preserve,…

Positions available in Manteo Office and Wrightsville Beach Office (one position at each site) The Conservation Trust for North Carolina is the host organization for AmeriCorps Project GEOS, a ten-month national service program in environmental education and outreach. Project GEOS stands for Growing Environmental Opportunities through Service. Project GEOS has four goals: 1. Make environmental education more accessible…

Register Here The North Carolina Coastal Federation will host its second annual Seafood Shellebration Oct. 24, 2015 from 5-8 p.m. in Raleigh at “The Green” behind Seaboard Station. Guests can join the federation in “shellebrating” the opening of the oyster season and our bountiful coast with live music, beer from Natty Greene’s Brewing and delicious…

Environmental organizations around the country recently celebrated National Estuaries Week. The North Carolina Coastal Federation hosted several events from Manteo to Wrightsville Beach to celebrate our spectacular coastal waters and wetlands. In the wake of a Nor’easter and with hurricane Joaquin looming, staff and steadfast volunteers from each region braved the elements to showcase the…

Federation intern, Mariko Polk, recently won first place in the student category of the Battle of the GeoMaps at the North Carolina ArcGIS User Group 2015 Conference. The Battle of the GeoMaps is a mapping poster competition that recognizes achievement in solving problems faced by the user community or public at large. Judged by peers…

The North Carolina Coastal Federation, in cooperation with the Town of Oak Island and the Oak Island Citizens’ Environmental Advisory Committee, is undertaking a community project to reduce the flow of polluted stormwater into the creeks and sounds around Oak Island. The project involves the construction of low-cost, relatively simple swales and vegetated landscapes, such…

The N.C. Coastal Federation, in partnership with the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, area business leaders and local government officials, is working to create a model for the county’s approval process for industrial development to help ensure better compatibility of new land uses with existing neighbors. The effort to improve New Hanover County’s special-use permit, or…

Inspiring stewardship with the Latino Community The North Carolina Coastal Federation teamed up with Mano al Hermano, a community-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower Latino families through education and positive integration programs. With grant funding support from the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, the federation supported Mano al Hermano’s summer literacy program this year.…

I met Joe Kilpatrick in 1983 during my first visit with the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem. He provided a warm, friendly greeting, and gave me strong encouragement as the fledgling North Carolina Coastal Federation was just getting its footing. Thus began a friendship that lasted more than three decades. Joe helped the federation…

Fowler Awarded Lifetime Achievement Honors Ocean— The winners of the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s annual Pelican Awards have been announced. The awards recognize exemplary work of people, organizations and groups to protect and enhance the N.C. coast. The awards were presented today at the North Carolina History Center in New Bern. “These awards recognize the…

By Zach Lee 8/3/15 The North Carolina Coastal Federation recently collaborated with DREAMs of Wilmington, Inc. to install a work of art at the Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center in Wrightsville Beach. Zach Lee, AmeriCorps member at the federation’s southeast office, visited DREAMs to discuss with a group of middle school students our…

coastalreview.org Staff Report WILMINGTON – The Corps of Engineers announced Friday it has decided to hold a public hearing and extend the public comment period on its environmental report related to a proposed terminal groin and beach-renourishment project at Rich Inlet on Figure Eight Island. The Corps’ Wilmington District said the public hearing will be…

The North Carolina Coastal Federation partnered with landowners in Hyde County, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Hyde County Cooperative Extension, researchers at North Carolina State University and neighboring landowners to design a wetland restoration project that will benefit both land management operations in the Mattamuskeet Drainage Association as well as historically prime oystering waters in…

The latest report from Restore America’s Estuaries, “Living Shorelines: From Barriers to Opportunities” has been issued and features contributions from the federation. Living shorelines are a suite of techniques that offer property owners the opportunity to protect and restore their shoreline using more naturally-occurring systems like salt marsh and oyster reefs while also providing benefits to bays…

Becky Peter 6/26/15 As part of Whole Foods Market Wilmington’s Community Giving Program, the North Carolina Coastal Federation was chosen as the recipient for a 5% Giving Day on June 10. The 5% Giving Day program at Whole Foods showcases a local nonprofit organization in the store for one day, and donates five percent of…

By Mary Jaskowiak Touch Tank Tuesdays are in full swing at our southeast office in Wrightsville Beach. Every week staff and interns fill a 50 gallon tank with local sea critters. The tank is then open to the public, so visitors can experience coastal creatures firsthand. Touch Tank Tuesdays are free and are part of…

Join or renew your annual membership in the North Carolina Coastal Federation this summer and be entered twice to win a 12 foot Sweetwater Designed Standup Paddleboard (SUP) and paddle, valued at $1,850 retail. The 12-foot SUP is a special edition lowrider board with Sweetwater graphics and paddle. There are two ways to enter. 1.…